I am bored!

I am not an artist and I can get antsy if I am in a museum for too long but I do think exposing children to art is important. We just spent a week in Washington D.C. with our daughters and toured the Capitol Building, Holocaust Museum, Air & Space Museum along with several monuments and memorials. A couple years prior to that we spent several weeks in Europe where they learned about French Impressionism and toured many Cathedrals and learned a little about architecture.

I am not going to lie and say our kids ask to do these things or that we do not occasionally hear “I am bored” once we arrive. However if we keep the visits short, we are usually successful. It is getting harder to compete with digital devices and fast-paced technology but these visits bring what they are learning at school to life and it is fun to observe them as they recognize an artist they learned about in art class or a piece of history they studied.

You do not have to travel far to expose your child to art or history. We have great museums both in Santa Barbara and throughout California. So many of our museums have great interactive exhibits for young children that engage them at an early age. You can also point out buildings around town and show them the differences in architecture. Attend plays and musicals at the local schools and theaters. Show you kids how to photograph people, landscapes and objects. Sign your kids up for lessons and camps focused on dance, theater, music and art so they can learn for themselves what it means to express themselves.

Most children have a natural enthusiasm and curiosity for the arts when they are young. Continuing their exposure to the arts as they grow will help maintain their interest. Art is often an everyday part of life that we do not always recognize that our kids are either observing or actively participating in… listening to music, painting, dancing, acting.

This summer, make sure to calendar in some time to visit the special exhibits at all our different museums. Ask about family memberships and special events for children.

COMMUNITY CALENDAR

Event Highlights

ABOUT US

ParentClick.com is an online publisher that provides a pulse on the local scene and a city guide for families in communities nationwide. Since 2002, ParentClick has offered a broad range of information for parents, grandparents, teachers and others working with children, 0-18 years.